ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Canadiens of the North Eastern Alberta Jr. B Hockey League are off to a solid start following their first game of 2024, defeating the Vegreville Rangers 6-1 on Jan. 5.
The Canadiens came out strong as soon as the puck hit the ice at the Clancy Richard Arena. In the first period, the Canadiens' Kolby Miller opened the scoring at the four-minute mark, assisted by Kaden Cardinal.
The momentum did not stop, with Rylan Cardinal, Jarett Boulianne, and William Chemago netting goals, leading to a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period.
Despite facing a significant gap, the Vegreville Rangers managed to break through the Canadiens' defence, finding the net 13 minutes into the second period. However, the Canadiens' Kayden Morrison responded with an unassisted goal, extending the lead to 5-1 with about two minutes left on the clock.
In the final period, neither team scored early on. But 18 minutes in, Quinn Szpak sealed the Canadiens' victory with a goal, assisted by Miller and Morrison, closing the game 6-1 in favour of the Canadiens.
On Jan. 6, the Canadiens headed to Cold Lake to face off against the Cold Lake Ice.
The battle was close, with Cold Lake ultimately taking the win with a 5-4 victory.
With 19 total wins and only four losses, the Canadiens are still at the top of the league's standings.
The Canadiens' next home game is Jan. 13 against Lloydminster.
